Former MI Cadet Leader running 4 Congress

[JosephArlinghaus]

Andrew Raczkowski was Cadet Squadron Commander at Five Points Squadron in Redford, Michigan in the mid 1980's.  He served in the leadership of the 1987 Summer Encampment and enlisted in the US Army at 17 years of age.  He reached the rank of Major and served in the first gulf conflict.  I served under him at Five Points before going to college in 1987.  I lost touch with him at that time as I moved out of state, but have since learned that he went on to election to the State House and eventually State Senate.  Now he is the favorite to be elected to Congress this fall in the 9th Congressional district.

I have not talked to Andrew since 1987, but I thought this might interest former cadets who knew him.

http://www.rockyworksforus.com/

[Patterson]

 :clap:

Good for him.  Bad for our enemies.  What Party is he affiliated with?  His website is vague and misleading in a few areas.  I also hate the new look of Obama Websites (i.e Federal Governments Websites). 

[EMT-83]

This is a new trend, candidates not revealing their party affiliation. You can't blame him for perceived failures of his party if you're not aware of the association.

[Майор Хаткевич]

This is a new trend, candidates not revealing their party affiliation. You can't blame him for perceived failures of his party if you're not aware of the association.

True, however it seems there is only so much you can hide. The issues page clearly makes it obvious what party the man is running with.

[Johnny Yuma]

This has been done before. Darci Burner (formerly Gibbons) tried this twice and failed in Washington.

I'd vote for this guy though.

[JC004]

:clap:

Good for him.  Bad for our enemies.  What Party is he affiliated with?  His website is vague and misleading in a few areas.  I also hate the new look of Obama Websites (i.e Federal Governments Websites).

The "Obama Websites" are really just following the industry trends in web design. 

Most politicians' sites are also vague and often don't mention party.  That's how they're being done now.  They shoot for vague because if the bill they're proposing doesn't get passed (and for a freshman member of Congress, the likelihood of that is low), the commercials come out in two years saying that they broke their promises.

[Krapenhoeffer]

Quick question, isn't it not allowed to use uniform pics on your official documents/websites when running for political office?

[JC004]

Whose rules?

[NIN]

I was a cadet with Andrew (*cough* "Rocky") back in the 1980s.  Back when we had 3-man flight staffs (CC, XO and Flt Sgt) for encampments, I was a flight commander and Andy was my XO. 

He's a solid dude, and while I haven't seen or talked to him in 12 or so years, it would be just like old home week if we were to reconnect.  (I have a pic floating around here someplace where he came to my change of command in 1997).


And its not against the rules to show a photo of yourself in the military, even on a campaign website, since it is establishing his bonafides WRT military issues and defense.  It would be against the rules to campaign in uniform, however.

You'll note that he fully disclaims mention of his service and the photo of him in uniform as not representing an endorsement by the DoD. Knowing Andy, he fully vetted this one. He's not likely to get caught in a freshman mistake like that.

[HGjunkie]

When I hear the work "Rocky," I think of Rocky Road Ice Cream. Mmm mmm mmm. 

[Slim]

When I hear the work "Rocky," I think of Rocky Road Ice Cream. Mmm mmm mmm. 

That's alright, for those of us who knew him "back then" we don't think of Andrew when we hear the word "Rocky".

[NIN]

http://www.freep.com/article/20101103/NEWS15/311030004/1435/Peters-wins-a-squeaker

Unfortunately, Andrew was unable to beat the incumbent in the election.

It was, however, a *really* close race as far as elections go.

[Capt_Redfox30]

A former Illinois Cadet did win a seat in the US Congress. 
http://www.electadam.com/ 

Him and I in 2005, he just got back from some sort of pilot training, I just got done with Air Force Basic Training/Tech School.  He and I just happened to show up at the CAP meeting the same night. 

[Eclipse]

Had a picture of him and I but it didnt post, oh well.

Heck of a bio: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adam_Kinzinger
"In 2006, the Wisconsin Red Cross named Kinzinger "Hero of the Year" for wrestling a knife-wielding man to the ground and disarming him. The man had cut the throat of a woman on a street in downtown Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Recalling the event in an ABC Milwaukee interview, Kinzinger stated "The whole time it was, to me, kind of a done deal that I was going to get stabbed in the process, but I knew that this wasn't something I could wake up to...everyday with that memory that I watched her die." The woman survived. For the same act of heroism Kinzinger also received the United States Air Force Airman's Medal and the National Guard's Valley Forge Cross for Heroism."

[Майор Хаткевич]

Saw that, very impressive and I'm glad he received the recognition.

[SARDOC]

Sorry Rocky lost

[The CyBorg is destroyed]

When I hear the work "Rocky," I think of Rocky Road Ice Cream. Mmm mmm mmm. 

I think of Bullwinkle.

If I were ever to take leave of my last remaining senses enough to run for office, I wouldn't want to be seen as anything but "independent" in every sense of the word.

WRT uniforms...when President GW Bush ran, I remember seeing a "hero shot" of him next to an F-102, and other political candidates have certainly used their military service as a selling point.

[JohnKachenmeister]

Kill Moose and Squirrel.